Research projets and publications

The PAVICS platform provides researchers with more effective access to the climate information they need for projects on climate change vulnerability, impacts and adaptation.

The methodology was developed iteratively with user feedback for a range applications, ensuring the relevance of the climate scenarios for adaptation stakeholders.

Managers now have access to an interactive tool enabling them to better understand the issues and to integrate climate information in their decision-making process.

The published journal article is designed to enlighten researchers and decision-makers working in the areas of vulnerabilities, impacts and adaptation about the role of natural variability in climate evolution, which is preventing climate warming caused by human activities occuring gradually.

A complete state-of-play report on how climate change is included into infrastructure design in Canada.

The future portrait of 81 climate indicators for the territory of Nunavik will drive a variety of climate change impact and adaptation studies, including studies on the food security of Aboriginal populations and fauna/ecosystem modelling. The use of alternative data made it possible to produce finer subdivisions of northern bioclimate, which may serve as a baseline for ecologists.

A notable outcome are the 2013 and 2015 editions of the Hydroclimatic Atlas of Central Québec by Direction de l’Expertise hydrique (MDDELCC) providing profound insight into the future modifications of the hydrology of Québec. This helped decision makers to understand these changes and develop and adapt strategies in order to respond to the new normal.

The profitability of the sector and regional economic activity related to ski stations depend on the industry's response to climate change challenges. Ski stations are at the heart of a tightly knit economic ecosystem. These challenges represent an opportunity for them to explore new business models.

Chronic multiple repeat events of low amplitude may cause more long-term losses than punctual severe disturbances yet are easier to ignore.  Forest industry and governments must prepare for the combined effects of long term effects.  

The approach developed provides decision-makers with a decision-making aid process that summarizes the results of the model. 

The results will enable forest managers to assess the extent to which forestry can be developed in these northern areas and using which practices, taking into account natural disturbances influenced by climate change. In addition, better anticipation of the consequences of climate change will improve the ability to manage the forest in such a way as to maintain productive stands and thereby achieve sustainable forest management.

The project will increase awareness among local forest managers, advisors and owners of current and future global changes and the management of uncertainty in the planning of their forested land.

The project made municipalities and MRCs more aware of the impacts of certain land use planning and water management decisions. Each participating community has increased its autonomy in dealing with the impacts of the issues to which they are exposed.

The projections from the project serve to identify plausible risks and protect human health and the shellfish industry in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The main results of this project will be presented to the elected officials and population of the Québec City region to raise awareness about the issue of drinking water availability in a changing climate.

This project produced results that can be used by actors in each sector, as well as by economic, regional, national and international development stakeholders, to inform adaptation efforts.

The results will help guide a sustainable approach to water management that takes into account the effects of climate change. It will also provide water supply managers in participating municipalities with tools for assessing vulnerabilities related to climate change, whether these are due to changes to their surface water withdrawal capacity or to changes in water needs during certain critical periods.

The research results will help to lay the foundations of a new culture of mitigation, adaptation and maritime and port innovation in Québec in the face of climate change by intensifying collaborations with the maritime and port industry.

The project has provided a better understanding of current and future spatial and temporal variability of salinity in the transition zone to help guide stakeholders in making sound decisions.

The knowledge developed by the project has provided riverside municipalities with a better understanding of the processes related to riverbank erosion, allowed them to identify areas that are vulnerable to this hazard, and provided a portrait of the possible evolution of flooding and erosion under climate change.

The exchanges and comparisons between Québec and Mexico will make it possible to conduct a comparative analysis in order to enrich the practices and tools for integrated water management adaptation available to Québec users.

Knowledge of changes in groundwater recharge will enable users to anticipate problems that could have a long-term effect on their water supply (quantity, quality, seasonal forecasts).

The project will make it possible to adapt dam management to climate change and the water needs of local communities.

This project improved adaptive capacity by developing expertise to mitigate permafrost instability under transportation infrastructure.

The availability of more reliable extreme water level statistics will enable designers and engineers to better assess the risks associated with extreme water levels for present and future infrastructure.

The results of preliminary simulations and theory support the idea that forest management could accelerate the response of forest stands to climate change. Opening the forest canopy accelerates succession by modifying competition interactions within the stand.

Accounting and evaluating diverse interests can be formally integrated in decision aid processes such as MCDA and can be used to help structure and make more informed decisions, especially in the context of limited resources.

Québec’s municipal managers, professionals and planners have a new tool oriented to their needs at their disposal for assessing and mapping population vulnerability to heat waves and hydrometeorological hazards.

Among many economic activities, the production of Maple syrup is one of the most directly related to the climate and particularly to the spring climate. 

The preliminary results of the CBA have supported the adoption of wetlands and water bodies conservation objectives in the COBARIC water master plan update and the development of the Chaudière-Appalaches regional wetlands and water bodies plan (PRMHH).

The methods developed can be applied in other major cities in Québec to support climate change adaptation and health-focused land use planning.

Update of useful resources for characterizing and analyzing communities from the point of view of vulnerabilities to the psychosocial impacts of extreme weather events.

The project raised awareness among water managers about the problem of ice jam flood risk. This initial analysis helped better define the issues and guide the search for relevant adaptation measures.

This project led to a better understanding of different target audiences and their interest in content relating to the fight against climate change.

The project identified concrete legal mechanisms for dealing with exceptional hydrological variations as well as their benefits and limitations in the context of climate change.

This state of knowledge offers a useful reference for political decision-makers, managers, community groups and local organizations seeking support for the planning of development, protection, conservation and resource management priorities